You are currently viewing our boards as a guest which gives you limited access to view most discussions and access our other features. By joining our free community you will have access to post topics, communicate privately with other members (PM), respond to polls, upload content and access many other special features. Registration is fast, simple and absolutely free so please, join our community today!

Me and a buddy managed to pull a starter without removing intake man. or dropping the tranny.
Not too easy and I don't recommend it. Drop the tranny if you can.
My car was parked on a steep incline and there was a car behind that the owner could not be found. So I was in a tight spot. Managed to get in and get the rusty bolts out though, what a pain in the ass. Getting repaired for $35 and one day.
Just thought I would mention it.

You don't need to remove the intake to do this and you can't remove the transmission without first removing the starter.

If my car still had an M20 and I had to pull the starter, I'd figure out how to make a 96+ E36 starter work (threaded), or at least weld the nuts onto the stock one. This is by far the dumbest design I've ever seen from BMW - yeah brilliant, let's put a nut and bolt in a place where Nicole Ritchie couldn't reach.

I've read in some how-tos that removing the intake and some coolant hoses is the only way(or easiest) to get a wrench on the upper bolt head. Well we were stubbon and went at it anyways. It was a bitch, but it got done. The bolts are going back in with star lock washers for sure.